USHL Player of the Year Kevin Roy, Brother Derick Roy Headed to Northeastern

The past year has tested the fortitude of many people around the Northeastern Men’s Hockey program, most notably the fans. Former head coach Greg Cronin left for the NHL last May, and hulking future NHL defenseman Jamie Oleksiak departed for the OHL. Then players started to leave before they even arrived. Highly touted recruits and drafted players John Gaudreau and Garrett Haar went on to have outstanding freshman campaigns with frozen four schools Boston College and Western Michigan, respectively. Just recently, standout goalie prospect Jon Gillies decommitted and decided to go to PC, and some current Huskies have gone on to explore other options in their careers.

After a few intriguing pickups in the offseason, it appears the Husky faithful are going to be rewarded with the USHL’s Player of the Year for 2011-2012, centerman Kevin Roy. Hailing from Quebec, the 19 year old has evolved from an undersized forward with prodigious puckhandling skills into an offensive dynamo with the ability to score in almost any situation. He posted a record 54 goals and 104 points in 59 games for the Lincoln Stars last year, and will join current Lincoln teammates Zach Aston-Reese (Arrives in 2013), Colton Saucerman, and the recently added Dax Lauwers on Northeastern’s roster. Roy is listed at 5’10” and 170 lbs. At age 13 he became a viral video hit in a video titled “wicked good canadian” where Roy shows off some dazzling moves against high school goaltenders. Since then he has worked diligently to add dimensions to his game. He cited his interest in college hockey as a way to build strength and receive a quality education. Kevin has already attended Deerfield Academy in northwestern Massachusetts, where he was the varsity leading scorer in his final two years attending, and went undrafted before heading to the USHL. Just a year overage, Roy’s accomplishments and talent had him ranked 78^th on NHL Central Scouting’s list of North American skaters for the 2012 NHL Draft. He was eventually selected 97^th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Anaheim Ducks. Due to his size and potential, it appears the Ducks may want him to take his time to develop into a complete player, which could mean an extended stay at Northeastern. The Roy brothers were originally committed to play for Brown (ECAC), but they and Zach Aston-Reese have decided to follow assistant coach Jerry Keefe to Matthews. Kevin’s older brother Derick is a goaltender who was slated to join Kevin at Brown. Derick was the starting goaltender for the South Shore Kings (EJHL), and has shown that he’s not just a throw-in.  He can play at a high level, and more importantly is consistent. This is huge for a Northeastern team in need of a solid backup for when senior Chris Rawlings leaves. This is certainly exciting and refreshing news for Huskies fans. So while this may not make the Huskies a national powerhouse, it just made the team a lot scarier, and even more fun to watch.  Enjoy the ride.